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Summer Session 2012 will take place at the Strong’s National Museum of Play® located in beautiful Rochester, NY.

Dates: Saturday and Sunday August 11 & 12, 2012.

Times: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days

How much is it? $315.00 for Ooey Gooey® Members.  $350.00 for NON-members.  Don’t worry – if you are NOT a member you will be given the opportunity to become one no matter which way you register!

FYI: An individual 2-year Ooey Gooey® Membership is $40 and a 2-year group Ooey Gooey® Membership is $75.

Also, when you register, you will be asked if you would like to add $11 to your fees so you can Stay and Play in the Museum on Saturday night as it is open until 8:00 PM.

What’s Included? Breakfast, lunch, snacks, many of the make and take materials (you will have to bring a few things, but don’t worry – we send out a list!), a weekend full of “Lisa Murphy” workshops and certificates of attendance.  You are responsible for all of your travel arrangements.

How to pay? There are 4 convenient ways for you to secure your spot: register here online, print out a paper registration and mail it in,  FAX us an authorized Purchase Order (P.O.), or you can call   (800) 477-7977 and we can register you over the phone.

Basic Travel Information:

You will FLY into Rochester, NY (airport code is ROC). Carriers into ROC are United, Delta, American, Air Tran, Jet Blue, Northwest, US Airways and Continental.

Rental Car Carriers at ROC: Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Avis and National.

If you like SOUTHWEST (SWA) airlines, you can fly into Buffalo (BUF) which is about an hour WEST of us.

The museum is about 15 minutes from the ROC airport

Hotels within 1 mile of the museum:

Hyatt Regency Rochester 125 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604 ph: (585) 546-1234 www.rochester.hyatt.com

Strathallan Hotel 550 East Avenue, Rochester NY 14607 ph: (585) 461-5010 www.strathallan.com

Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside 120 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604 ph: 1-800-395-7046 www.radisson.com

Rochester Plaza Hotel 70 State Street, Rochester NY 14614 ph: 1-866-826-2831 http://www.rochesterplaza.com/ (slightly over 1 mile from the museum)

Hotels closer to the airport are:

Country Inn and Suites Rochester 797 East Henrietta Road, Rochester NY 14623 ph: 1-800-596-2375 www.countryinns.com/rochester-hotel-ny-14623/nyrochea

Rochester Airport Marriott 1890 Ridge Road West, Rochester NY 14615 ph: (585) 225-6880 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocap-rochester-airport-marriott/

Fairfield Inn Rochester Airport 1200 Brooks Avenue, Rochester NY 14624 ph: (585) 529-5000 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocfa-fairfield-inn-rochester-airport/

Residence Inn Rochester West/Greece 500 Paddy Creek Circle, Rochester NY 14615  ph: (585) 865-2090 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocri-residence-inn-rochester-west-greece/

Courtyard Rochester Brighton 33 Corporate Woods, Rochester NY 14623  ph: (585) 292-1000 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocch-courtyard-rochester-brighton/

Holiday Inn Rochester-Marketplace 800 Jefferson Road, Rochester NY 14623  ph: (585) 475-9190 www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/rochester/rocjr/hoteldetail

Best Western Rochester Marketplace Inn 940 Jefferson Road, Rochester NY 14623  ph: 1-800-780-7234 www.bestwesternnewyork.com/rochester-hotels/

Hampton Inn Rochester-North 500 Center Place Drive, Rochester NY 14615 ph: (585) 663-6070 www.hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ROCNYHX

Summer Session 2011 will take place at the Strong’s National Museum of Play® located in beautiful Rochester, NY.

Dates: Saturday and Sunday August 27 & 28, 2011.

Times: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days

How much is it? $315.00 for Ooey Gooey® Members.  $350.00 for NON-members.  Don’t worry – if you are NOT a member you will be given the opportunity to become one no matter which way you register!

FYI: An individual 2-year Ooey Gooey® Membership is $40 and a 2-year group Ooey Gooey® Membership is $75.

Also, when you register, you will be asked if you would like to add $11 to your fees so you can Stay and Play in the Museum on Saturday night as it is open until 8:00 PM.

What’s Included? Breakfast, lunch, snacks, many of the make and take materials (you will have to bring a few things, but don’t worry – we send out a list!), a weekend full of “Lisa Murphy” workshops and certificates of attendance.  You are responsible for all of your travel arrangements.

How to pay? There are 4 convenient ways for you to secure your spot: register here online, print out a paper registration and mail it in,  FAX us an authorized Purchase Order (P.O.), or you can call   (800) 477-7977 and we can register you over the phone.

Basic Travel Information:

You will FLY into Rochester, NY (airport code is ROC). Carriers into ROC are United, Delta, American, Air Tran, Jet Blue, Northwest, US Airways and Continental.

Rental Car Carriers at ROC: Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Avis and National.

If you like SOUTHWEST (SWA) airlines, you can fly into Buffalo (BUF) which is about an hour WEST of us.

The museum is about 15 minutes from the ROC airport

Hotels within 1 mile of the museum:

Hyatt Regency Rochester 125 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604 ph: (585) 546-1234 www.rochester.hyatt.com

Strathallan Hotel 550 East Avenue, Rochester NY 14607 ph: (585) 461-5010 www.strathallan.com

Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside 120 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604 ph: 1-800-395-7046 www.radisson.com

Rochester Plaza Hotel 70 State Street, Rochester NY 14614 ph: 1-866-826-2831 http://www.rochesterplaza.com/ (slightly over 1 mile from the museum)

Hotels closer to the airport are:

Country Inn and Suites Rochester 797 East Henrietta Road, Rochester NY 14623 ph: 1-800-596-2375 www.countryinns.com/rochester-hotel-ny-14623/nyrochea

Rochester Airport Marriott 1890 Ridge Road West, Rochester NY 14615 ph: (585) 225-6880 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocap-rochester-airport-marriott/

Fairfield Inn Rochester Airport 1200 Brooks Avenue, Rochester NY 14624 ph: (585) 529-5000 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocfa-fairfield-inn-rochester-airport/

Residence Inn Rochester West/Greece 500 Paddy Creek Circle, Rochester NY 14615  ph: (585) 865-2090 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocri-residence-inn-rochester-west-greece/

Courtyard Rochester Brighton 33 Corporate Woods, Rochester NY 14623  ph: (585) 292-1000 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rocch-courtyard-rochester-brighton/

Holiday Inn Rochester-Marketplace 800 Jefferson Road, Rochester NY 14623  ph: (585) 475-9190 www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/rochester/rocjr/hoteldetail

Best Western Rochester Marketplace Inn 940 Jefferson Road, Rochester NY 14623  ph: 1-800-780-7234 www.bestwesternnewyork.com/rochester-hotels/

Hampton Inn Rochester-North 500 Center Place Drive, Rochester NY 14615 ph: (585) 663-6070 www.hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ROCNYHX

Overweight preschoolers, elimination of recess, increased numbers of children on medication… serious issues that are a direct result of our (mistaken) belief that if children are playing they are not learning.  This workshop will examine many reasons WHY children need to play outside and will also address some of the social factors which inhibit outdoor play.  We’ll wrap up by viewing a picture show of children engaged in outdoor play experiences that you can immediately implement in your own home or center based program.  And best of all, they are activities that use materials you probably already have in the garage or the shed!

The mind can only absorb what the butt can endure! Lisa will lead participants in large motor games that can be played both indoors and out. Come ready to move!

NOTE to event coordinators:  this workshop needs ample space for participants to move around!  Weather permitting, a courtyard, playground or other outdoor space is ideal!

She learned from the best and will now share with you!  Join Lisa as she teaches you many classic fingerplays that have withstood the test of time and some that are destined to become future favorites!  Sure to be a crowd pleaser, be sure to leave your inhibitions at home and come ready to sing, play, clap and shout along!

Who could turn down an opportunity to make a mess with shaving cream and learn about color mixing with the always fun Lisa Murphy? Not me! When I learned that Lisa and her husband, Tom, were planning a trip to Colorado, I asked if she would be a guest on Science Mondays at 9News. The real fun for me, however, was getting to spend down time with Lisa away from the hustle and bustle of a conference. I’m honored to get to consider her a colleague and friend. We laughed about the idea of getting to spend an entire weekend together with a few hundred of our favorite early childhood teachers for something that would probably be well beyond extreme. I don’t think we’d ever be invited back to that hotel. Just a thought…

Watch Lisa in action as she shares one of her signature color mixing demos with shaving cream!

Watch the video!

McHenry County College hosted the 22nd Annual Practical Ideas for the Child’s World Conference on Saturday where Lisa Murphy demonstrated her sensory play philosophy.

Through her Ooey Gooey workshop, Murphy gave insights on how to teach children. Her many comments included “Stop interrupting engaged children,” “Ask real questions,” “Take the time to articulate what you expect of them,” and “Be prepared. Make it easier, smoother for the child. Be the facilitator.”

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In a moment of quiet we honored and paid tribute to Tom Hunter who has been greatly missed to many who were present since his death in June of 2008. To assist in Tom Hunter’s wish to “Keep it Going” please visit www.tomhunter.com.

We had many conversations, new make and takes and Ms. Laura (Lisa’s mom) facilitated a hand-puppet sock-buddy sewing project all weekend too. Vincent came and sang with us again and we started pre-selling my new book Ooey Gooey® Tooey : 140 exciting hands on activity ideas for young children.

Ms. Kimi was back assisting from AZ and Ms. Carla came again from CA. We missed Mr. Bob and Ms. Shally this year and hope to see them next time. Tom of course did the food and it was amazing as usual! Monday was observation day at the school and about 50 or so folks stayed through Monday to participate in that. And wouldn’t you know that as soon as we ushered the last few folks out the door and bid everyone safe travels, licensing showed up for an unannounced inspection! What a weekend it turned out to be!

During the weekend we did announce that we would be taking 2009 “off” in order to make time to prep and plan for the Summer Session event I see in my head. I told everyone that if they hate it, we’ll go back to the old way, but once, just once! I want to organize the Summer Session format that has been brewing in my head for a couple of years. So while we will miss everyone in 2009, get ready for a big extravaganza in the planning stages for Summer Session 2010! Hope we will be able to see you there!

love,
Lisa

I will share with you that every year I say I’M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN! Yet, we always do. The stress and frustration and logistical headaches always seem to be overshadowed by the love, the energy and the excitement the weekend brings. I thank all of you for that. I joked though (to Tom – when no one was looking) that this year, really was going to be it. No More! Then, in pure Lisa style, I announced the dates for ’08 on the last day so I guess we are in for another year! We are already making plans. each year we say, “This will be the best one ever!” We hope you will consider joining us!

I think this year (2007) the stress was higher because we had just opened the school. And me, being me, wanted everything perfect but then I had to take some of my own advise and remember that nothing with childcare, kids or school is ever “finished” nor is it ever perfect. It was like having a party and opening our home to folks. We wanted to give a glimpse of what we are attempting to do in our little corner of the world. How we are the same yet different. How do you begin to articulate subtleties?

I saw people taking photos of the rooms, of the store room and of the shelves of paint and paper. I watched as woman cried due to the availability of flour, cornstarch and other consumables. I realized that I have forgotten what it is like to have to sign-out rolls of paper towels. I had not stopped to consider that the open, unlocked store room and its implied “take what you need” message might be overwhelming. Some folks shared that the school gave them hope. They shared they were encouraged by subtle, small things that I list under the “but that’s just what we do here” column. Words do not provide justice to the range of emotion experienced by us all. I was moved at the display of appreciation for what we are carving out here in Rochester. I felt honored and encouraged to continue taking our baby steps towards making what we do here the best it can possibly be.

See you in 2008.

love,
Lisa

Written: September 27, 2007

In New York we got fancy and held the event at the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery. It was a beautiful location. Another small and intimate group but that never stops us! We had folks from Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Florida and New York! The surprise on Saturday was that musical artist Vincent (http://www.lighthouserecords.com/) joined us and ended our day with a spontaneous sing-a-long! Maybe he’ll come back next year! I thought the “Flat Stanley” project would be a blast, and I think we all had fun making our Flat Selves, but it later came to my attention that no one was getting them sent back after having adventures. maybe we need to tweak the project to make it work better. Was it confusing? I am not sure. I didn’t think it was. Oh well – if you were at Summer Session 2006 in either NY or CA drop me a line and let me know if you got your Flat Self back!!! I’d like to know if we need to bag it as a project, or if we simply need to explain it better. Thanks! So the bags are unpacked, everything is shipped back home; we got the paint out of the carpets, the ivory soap cleaned out of the mini-microwaves and made sure to explode the soda when no one was looking. This year.

See you in 2007.

All the usual suspects were there! There were buttons and cheese and juicy red apples and groupies with t-shirts, chickens and much more! If you don’t know what all this means it’s because you were not there! You must join us sometime soon and get in on not only the fun, but the connections and sharing and networking and refueling as well! We had parents and teachers from all over California and Arizona!

The smelly t-shirts were hanging all throughout the hallways of the Hyatt! We appreciate that they let us eat in the atrium so we didn’t have to smell the ingredients from the alcohol tye-dye shirts! Phew! Once again we premiered some new material.

At the July Session in California it was called “Meet the Masters” but by the August Session in New York the title and handout had already been reformatted and the delivery style changed. The workshop has been restructured and BAM how exciting it is to have some material about the folks that paved the way. The new title is “Vygotsky and Montessori and Waldorf! Oh My!” the subtitle is “how what they did supports what you do!”

August found us in Rochester, New York at the Clarion Riverside Hotel for the first ever New York Summer Session! We say that someday we’ll look back and say, “Remember way back when there were only 20 of us!!!???” Our little group was nestled among some out of control wedding goers, baby beauty pageant attendees, a Baptist Church convention, a baby shower and a fashion show. There was candy on all the tables, cookies up the wazu and we had enough food to serve a small country! (I think I overdid it on the snacks!!)

We talked about rules and regulations and really got down and dirty talking about what if it WAS their only day. There were tears and shivers and sighs of sadness and loss. It was a deep and touching Sunday. But the mood was not down – no no! Don’t get me wrong – we just went to a deep place, a place where you often can’t go if there are 200 in the room, but can often “get to” with a smaller intimate crowd.

As the weekend wrapped up there were capes and T-shirts were brightly displayed! Eggs and brooms were doing “science” and at one point on a break a few folks ran through the hotel hallway with their goggles and capes! It was Ooey Gooey® fun at it’s finest! And not a bad first start if you ask me!

Aside from grown women and men running through the lobby of the Doubletree Hotel in San Diego, CA with their CAPES ON, I would have to say the most exciting was the fact that we had a full on film and production crew video taping the entire weekend! From the thousand and thousands of minutes of footage we were able to create training DVDs of our workshops that we now have available for sale. ROCK ON JOEL!!

The highlight (in addition to the video taping!) was that we once again premiered a new workshop. And it wasn’t that we premiered new information that was so important, but I think WHAT we premiered. Summer Session 2004 saw the premiere of the (now affectionately called) WOLVES workshop. And in less than a year, the handout for this workshop has morphed into a book! And not only just a book, but two books actually – a book specific to the standards and guidelines for both California and Indiana. Specific WOLF books for Illinois, Arizona, Texas, New York, Florida and Oregon are all (dare I say??) “coming soon.” The WOLVES workshop is rapidly becoming one of the most requested sessions we have ever put together. I know that if we can continue to keep up this pace we will have a WOLF book for each state and by doing so will show folks that they do not need to put so much pressure on “getting them ready” because when they are doing it RIGHT they already are!

Your Feedback

A letter from Bob of Discovery Isle CDC:

Wow! What a powerful weekend! I’m surprised the building didn’t burn down with all the fires being lit!

Thank you Lisa and your wonderful support team that made this Summer Session 2004 a House full of memories! I’ve included 2 pictures of the camera crew (one is edited), 1 picture of Lisa and 1 of an attendee blowing a bubble in flubber. I have a few more that I will send but I didn’t want to send too large of a file!

I’ll be writing more later, I’m still going over all the wonderful handouts and notes from the workshop (yep, one of your front row people).

I also have a few questions that I would like to pose to you and get your input.

Thanks again for the passion and fire you share with us so consistently!

Please let me know if you are able to download the pictures.

Hi! I’m Bob

Bob Ryan-Discovery Isle CDC E-mail Discoverybob@dslextreme.com

P.S. I still love the idea of Ooey Gooey® shirts and aprons…LOL

We made paper bag hats, painted with our feet, talked about aromatherapy in the classroom and premiered the new “Fizzle Bubble Pop and WOW!” Workshop!

We spent the weekend with new friends, old friends, groupies and parents! I believe a good time was had by all.

Well in the interim between Summer Series 2002 and 2003 we sold our house… (we needed the capital to publish the 2nd book!) so a new location needed to found as the back yard was no longer an option! We did consider renting it back from them for the weekend but the thought of the schlepping and hauling was a bit discouraging! (more for them than us though!)

Anyway – we contacted an event planner. We ended up not working with her then but work with her all the time now! Joan Burns is our planner extraordinaire – she coordinated Summer Session 2005 in Ontario, California and is already hard at work on Summer Session 2006 for both California and New York! We couldn’t do it without you Joan!

However, Summer Session 2003 found us at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown San Diego. Tom and I have always been interested in possibly blending our knowledge of holistic topics with our educational know-how, but are often not sure how to go about doing it AND of how it will be received.

So in 2003 we did some aromatherapy workshops and I think folks enjoyed the information – if not for the classroom – for themselves and for their families!

I can still see a picture in my mind of all those tye dye shirts blowing in the breeze as they hung from the tent in the back yard. Tom and I made some life long friends at these three weekends and hope some of you might have too.

There was actually three (yes THREE!) separate weekend sessions this first year – one in June, one in July and one in August. And although the format changed, the name “Summer Session” stuck.

All the sessions were at our home in San Diego County too! What fun it was to squeeze everyone in the family child care playroom for our workshops! We eventually wised up and got a big circus style tent for the yard!

Our friend Dick from Isaac’s Catering in Carlsbad, California did breakfast pastries, juices, fruit and coffee. Lunch was delicious croissant sandwiches, potato salad, fruit and a slice of pie from Marie Callenders Restaurant.

At Summer Session 2002 we premiered a new workshop about the hazards of TV and computers and began the long standing tradition of participants getting to make T-shirts of some sort during the weekend.

Having one session each month through the summer was exciting and allowed some folks to get three Ooey Gooey® booster shots in a row! However, between all the prep, planning, setting up and catering, all the while still running our large licensed family child care home, I must say it was exhausting! We wanted to keep Summer Session going – but knew that it needed to be condensed into one intense weekend. And that is what we have been doing ever since!

Thank you again.

We have all witnessed it… the children who, at the ripe old age of six, or maybe even four, can spell their names, count up to 100, recite their phone number, play a musical instrument, dance for grandma, and maybe can even write a few words, but! when on the playground with peers, and someone takes their shovel, bike, truck or jump-rope what happens?

Meltdown.

“Teeeaaacher!”

So how do you teach problem solving to young children? My off-the-cuff answer (although very honest and true) is SLOWLY, PATIENTLY and CONSISTENTLY!

Nothing happens over night, if you get a new group of children each year it might be best to spend the first few weeks observing who has a handle on problem solving and who might need some assistance. I have had two-year olds who could get shovels back and six-year olds who still throw tantrums!

First things first: lets take a look at the surroundings and make some assessments through observation… is the fighting and arguing between children stemming from possible environmental issues? i.e.: Is there only ONE of the favorite objects? Too few for the large number of children? Might I need to acquire more? Is the arguing happening right before rest time? Lunch time? Just back in from outside playing? Are they extra tired and hungry? Is it always on Mondays after the weekend?

I had a group of children one year who always fought, bickered and pestered each other on Thursdays…. after some detective work I found out there was a TV show that most of them were watching on Wednesday night! The show was keeping these young children up too late for their 6:00 am arrivals to before-school care. Dealing with the environmental factors that might be causing the headaches might often be all that is needed to restore the peace.

However, when a child has something and another child wants it (turn on the bike, swing on the swings, the yellow truck)… I will show/teach/model to the child HOW to ask for it through words such as:

“Tell him that you’d like a turn when he is finished.”

“Ask for a turn when she’s done.”

“See if he wants to trade.”

“What would you like to do while you are waiting?”

I had a two-year old that would bring the cars he would “trade” over to the other two-year old who HAD what he wanted… “Trade?” he’d say..offering his bounty… most of the time this worked for them. Sometimes it didn’t, then you use one of the above “ask for a turn when he’s done” scenarios.

Sometimes children will throw a fit, take, or grab. If I witness this I will calmly say, “give it back and ask for a turn when he is finished.” Sometimes the child will literally sit and wait – watching until the other child is “done” with it. Often this then turns into a power struggle and enters a whole different realm that has nothing to do with sharing or getting shovels back. This is a time when I would observe if this is a current hot item that we might need multiples of, or if a simple lesson in patience is in order… “What would you like to do while you are waiting for Noah to be done?” might be an appropriate action.

CHILD #1: I want to swing! She has been on the swings since we got out here!
TEACHER: Tell her you would like a turn when she is finished.
CHILD #1: I did and she said she’s not done!
TEACHER: What would you like to do while you are waiting?

SIDEBAR: Oftentimes the minute the child ON the swings (pushing the truck, riding the bike) realizes that you (as the grownup) are not going to MAKE him/her get off the swings (give up the truck, get off the bike) just so little Beth can have a turn, will often jump off the swing on her own accord, “share” the truck or hop off the bike…BUT! That will happen only if this is the problem-solving pattern that happens ALL THE TIME – not just when you are feeling extra patient and are in a good mood! Consistency is key!

The real secret is focusing on the child who “wants it” and teaching methods of problem solving: waiting, requesting, and/or finding something else to do.

In a nutshell:
When conflict happens, grabbing, taking, screaming, whining over an object or an item, take their hands and sit with them. Do not HOVER over them three feet taller making the children LOOK UP at you. Get down – facilitate a dialogue between them. Preschool teachers are planting the seeds of problem solving when they do this; elementary teachers are keeping the skills alive and cultivating a deeper understanding. Please note that if you work with school aged children you cannot assume that they know what to do just because they are older… Resist the urge to simply say, “Go use your words!” I know some of the words a three, four, seven or ten year old will use!! So do you! It’s not pretty. We must take responsibility for teaching them the words we expect them to use as both members of a school environment and the community at large as well. Problem solving skills and learning how to get your shovel back are skills that will last a lifetime, long after the art as been thrown away, cubby tags have faded and report cards have been forgotten.

If children do not learn how to get their shovels back when they are little they will grow into adults who don’t know how to get them back either; playground antics, stolen shovels and grabbed away trucks turn into stolen staplers, borrowed scissors, lost computer discs and missed parking lot spaces. Grown ups who get fired from their jobs do not get fired because they cannot do their work, they get fired because they do not know how to deal with people! They do not know how to communicate! They do not have problem solving skills! Translate this to our preschool, kindergarten and primary classrooms – do children get kicked out of school if they can’t tie their shoes? If they get a “D” on a report card? If they cannot turn on the computer? No. But they will get kicked out if they bite…hit… kick… all which are manifestations of a lack of PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS!

CHILD #1: He took my shovel!
TEACHER: Tell him, “I want my shovel back please”
CHILD#1: “I want my shovel back please”
CHILD #2: But I had it first and then he grabbed it away from me….

SIDEBAR: You know the drill… this bantering could go on for hours! See how it becomes a power struggle instead of problem solving?? This is when the teacher/parent/adult needs to MODEL problem solving skills, not be the boss and take the shovel and give to one child -or take it away or make them find something different to do. These methods are the easy way out and teach only that the ADULT is in charge… no one is learning anything for himself or herself!

TEACHER: Where might you find more shovels? (Now you are also modeling THINKING THROUGH and finding ANOTHER OPTION i.e.: problem solving)
CHILD #2: The bucket by the sandbox has shovels in it.
TEACHER: Let’s go see…

Walk over to bucket together and go from there.

Again, see how an ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE could be stemming the whole debate? If there are only 10 shovels for 120 kids that is not enough! I worked in a school once that had 108 children in it and they only had four bikes on the playground. What were being dealt with, as BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS were really what? You are correct – ENVIRONMENTAL ones!

The secret to creating an environment that has minimal behavior problems is learning how to control the environment instead of the little people in it. Our goal is for the adult(s) to be involved and acting as a facilitator, assisting and guiding as the children learn these skills for themselves. Playing judge, jury and referee doesn’t teach anything. Facilitating independence and problem solving does NOT mean that we toss them back into the play lot with a strong “Go use your words” as we turn our backs and resume our discussion about last night’s party with our co-teachers. That is being disengaged, disconnected and is not teaching important skills that will last a lifetime.

We start out super involved, super connected, who needs what from us and how are we going to make sure they get it. Then slowly we back away, watching, observing… asking ourselves, “Is it working?” Anna Quindlen says, “each day we move a little closer to the sidelines of their lives which is where we belong if we do our job right.”

©2002 Ooey Gooey, Inc.
Lisa Murphy www.ooeygooey.com

It was so amazing that we took pictures!! They said they pretty much cleaned out the local Smart and Final and that the manager was real excited about doing business with them (I’m sure!) I have held on to these pictures knowing that someday I would pay tribute to the dedication and commitment these administrators and directors had for their staff. Each teacher got to take one of everything home with them!! This is how to spend your money, support staff and stock your pantry! Please know we know that not everyone gets big grants and we understand many budgets (and storage spaces) might not accommodate this…. It does however, provide you with an overview of what belongs in the teacher’s cupboard…

WHAT YOU NEED

Baking Soda
Beans
Bingo Dots
Bird Seed
Blocks
Books
Blankets
Borax
Cars
Corn Meal
Cornstarch
Crayons
Cream of Tartar
Dawn Soap
Dolls/Dollhouse
Dress Up Clothes
Flax Seed
Flour
Food Colors
Gelatin & Knox
Glue
Ivory Soap
Loose Parts for the yard
Markers
Masking Tape
Mud
Oil
Paper
Pillows
Rice
Rock Salt
Salt
Sand
Sand Toys
Shaving Cream
Sheets
Spaghetti
Tempra Paint
Trucks
Various Brushes
Vinegar
Water
Watercolor Paint

©2002 Ooey Gooey, Inc.
Lisa Murphy www.ooeygooey.com

Just as we fight the good fight for children to come to school dressed in play clothes, you too must dress for creative play. Save the fancy clothes, the nightclub clothes and the designer clothes for locations where they are appropriate, not the preschool. Go buy three pairs of pants you don’t care about and a whole bunch of shirts from the Goodwill. I think overalls are the best for preschool teachers – all those pockets come in handy for tape, scissors, band aids, markers, tissues … .No one is here for a fashion contest, we are here to be with children. Regardless of how “into” your teaching you are, if you are overdressed you are going to be worried about your clothes. Dressy clothes have no place in an early childhood environment. Now maybe you are the front office receptionist – by all means – dress up if you would like! But let us not make the mistake of forgetting that what goes on in the front office is much different than what is happening in the art area, sand box and playground! Different jobs, different needs. If you are dressed in clothes that you are worried about you will shy away from engaging interactions and explorations. If you back away from the art table for fear of “getting dirty” guess what the children in your class are going to do?

The issue of dress codes for teachers comes up often. Many pages of employee handbooks are used to define, regulate and otherwise enforce the attire of the staff. No this, no that, no jeans, no overalls, no shorts, no T-shirts (except on Fridays) etc etc. I expect my staff to be clean, fresh smelling and dressed – meaning: body parts covered, no boobs or butts hanging out. Other than that my rule is as follows: Clothes, accessories, shoes, hair, nails and jewelry should not interfere with your interactions with the children.

I have seen some teachers who do just fine with long acrylic nails and some who can no longer zip zippers, open a thermos, change a diaper or tie shoes. I might need to inform the teacher who is no

longer able to function that it might be best for her to remove her acrylic nails. I would not however, create a policy, circulate a memo, create a new “rule” or otherwise require all teachers to remove their long pretty, brightly painted nails simply out of superficial “fairness”. It would be inappropriate for me to have one size fits all policies for my teachers just as I resist one size fits all policies for children. We deal with things as they come up. We do not enforce gross generalizations in order to ease management duties or responsibilities. If someone needs to have a meeting about not covering all their parts or wearing too much perfume, sit them down and talk with them. We are loosing our ability to communicate. We have become fearful of conflict, so to keep things “nice,” and in the name of fairness, we establish knee-jerk policies that are not fair to anyone.

My former co-teacher wore (and I bet still does at her new school in North Carolina) tall, wedge sandals that were so high they would make your nose bleed. I did not “not allow” her to wear her big shoes simply because she “might” trip. If however, they had inhibited her running, jumping or otherwise interacting with the children that would have been another story and we would have dealt with it at that time. She is an amazing teacher. And guess what? Her shoes did not change her amazing-ness! I am usually in jeans. Am I “less professional” than a counterpart who might wear a suit? If we put Laminated Lady in heels and a dress would she all of a sudden become a better teacher?

Please know that I am aware of and respect the fact that certain religious belief systems dictate and regulate the clothing worn by its members. These religious requirement and choices are not what I am talking about here. What I am being faced with lately are recent mandates of khaki pants, collared shirts, ties, heels, skirts and nylons being worn by providers and teachers in infant, toddler and preschool classrooms. I ask, “Why?” They say “Professionalism!” Yet I wonder aloud how folks that are barely paid a livable wage are expected to spend such a large percentage of their money on clothing. I wonder if their organizations are now providing a clothing allowance for required items. Are they reimbursed for dry cleaning? But mostly, I wonder if it is a way of cleverly circumventing the necessity of providing of meaningful, creative, messy, artistic, child-centered play.

I think it goes deep. It is, like most things, a bigger issue. It’s not that they don’t want you in jeans. It’s that we look more like a “teacher” when we are wearing something else. Like a tie and pressed pants. Yet do I stop being a teacher if I’m in clean overalls, a nice pink t-shirt and sneakers? We were

at a post workshop dinner break with a group in Indiana and the waitress asked what we were in town for. “Teacher training!” we enthusiastically replied. “What grade?” she asked. “Preschool!” “Oh … ” she said, “So you’re not really teachers … ” I looked at our waitress and then looked around the table. Who did I see? A family child care provider of 15 years, a former preschool teacher now program director, myself, and a woman who has a Ph.D. and teaches child development at the local college. But somehow we are not really “teachers” because we work with young children. So I guess the logic goes that if we aren’t really teachers because we work with young children, and we are only really teachers if we teach a “grade,” then if we dress and look the way the grade school teachers do, then we can be considered teachers. Is that it?

I am told that these clothing requirements are designed to promote professionalism thus encouraging parents to treat the teachers with respect. Yes it is true that folks dressed up for a night on the town will get a nicer table, possibly faster seating and more than likely better service. If you have a nice car (and it’s washed) it will get staged when you valet. And I doubt that anyone would question the authority of a red power tie. But we are talking about folks who are working with babies! With toddlers! How can you dart after a runaway preschooler if you are in heels? Teachers need to be able to move around, clean up spills, change diapers, be burped on, be thrown up on, run after children, roll on the floor, play in the mud and water and provide creative art experiences each and every day. Dress codes and clothing requirements MUST take these things into consideration!

You do not become professional by wearing certain clothes. Respect for the self translates into respect for others. Pride and professionalism comes from within. If a teacher really is a “professional,” his or her “professionalism” will present itself daily during interactions with colleagues, parents, directors and children whether they are in jeans, a skirt, coat and tie, sneakers or high heels.

If we think we can create good teachers with “nice” clothes, does it follow that we disguise bad teaching with the same?

“Sit down! Be quiet!”

“Stop that! I will call your mother!”

“Don’t make me come over there! NO! NO! NO!”

But boy she looks good!

I guarantee that when you are presented the opportunity to observe a true professional, you will be able to identify him or her by their love and laughter, their dedication to their career and their passion and commitment to the children regardless of what they are wearing.

© Lisa Murphy, Ooey Gooey Inc. Rochester, New York.

Don’t you wish you had a dollar for every time you have said, “Please send your child to school in clothes you don’t care about!” We can encourage, demand, threaten, bribe, write notes home, scream, post signs and tell parents until we are blue in the face about the importance of wearing “play clothes” to school, but to no avail! It is frustrating to feel like our words are ignored, and even more so when, after all our efforts and insistence, the children still come to school suffering from what I call, “baby gap syndrome”.

And it affects the children the worst – over the years I have seen children cry because they got a little bit of paint on their shirt, have witnessed emotional breakdowns on the play yard because mud was on the new sneakers, had children tell me to throw their “dirty shirt” away so mama won’t get mad and have had children bound into school announcing that they aren’t allowed to paint anymore because it “ruins my clothes”. I have seen children proudly drag their parents out onto the yard to show off the tree forts, castles and mud houses they spent all day building and creating, designing and painting only to be asked, “Why are you so dirty?”, or be told, with a heavy sign, “Oh no…there’s paint on your new shirt!”

What kinds of messages are being sent to the children when there is so much emphasis on their clothes and shoes? Can the shirt really be more important than the opportunity to engage in a new creative experience? If it is, then it is a shirt that does not belong in preschool. I actually had a child come to school once wearing a green, crushed silk, flower girl dress…and her tap shoes! Like you, I have really struggled with this over the years.

What are we to do?

We tell our families, “Send them in clothes you don’t care about!” and then I show a slide show of the children “in action” and they immediately understand why! I met a director who tells parents, “If your child doesn’t get dirty at school, then we aren’t doing our job!”. Another friend who provides family childcare tells all her new clients, “I guarantee I will ruin their clothes!” And a colleague who teaches preschool tells her families, ”If you want the children to be able to wear it in public again, don’t send it here!” The reason I like to show parents the slide show is so that they can then see for themselves what the children are doing. They can witness the creative process first hand! I have discovered that parents sometimes have a misconception that their children are getting dirty because teachers are not paying attention. Slide shows, short video clips and photographs are tools for educating the parents not only on the creative process, but also of your involvement and investment in the activity as well.

Educators and providers need to be able to verbalize why creative art and other kinds of messy play is important and be able to identify for the parents the skills that are being developed as the children are engaged in these experiences. Remember that the parents aren’t there during the day to see the creativity, cooperation and process first hand; all they might see is the red paint in the hair and the glue on the jeans.

At our schoolhouse the children are not made to wear smocks. We use washable paint for all projects and, at orientation, parents are informed of the high level of creativity we encourage at our school and as such, are required to have lots and lots of extra clothes in their child’s cubby. Knowing that having lots of extras can be taxing for some families, there is also a big tub of clothes I have accumulated over the years at garage sales and consignment shops that children can “borrow” if they run out of extras.

Through parent workshops, parent meetings, articles about hands-on, creative messy play, a back to school orientation and well-written contracts and parent handbooks, you can begin to battle baby gap syndrome.

©2002 Ooey Gooey, Inc.
Lisa Murphy www.ooeygooey.com

After presenting a workshop I receive many e-mails and calls from people who say they are no longer able to drive down the road or on the freeway without thinking (or hoping) they will see that one new treasured object that they didn’t realize they needed! Please remember to be safe while shopping along your local freeway or highway (if possible while speeding by a ladder, hose, tire or metal hubcap at 80 mile per hour and attempting to do a split second analysis as to how you will get back to get it!!) Even though you are so excited about what you just drove by, remember to be careful while being creative! And know that sometimes you might just have to let something pass you by…

Remember too that the goodies don’t just fall out on freeways…. I have collected some really neat things in my local town or in and around neighborhoods! I once found a Little Tykes playhouse on a Wednesday night (trash night) while driving home from a friend’s house. I rang the bell and asked why it was on the curb – she said that nothing was wrong, they just didn’t want it anymore (!!). I told her I was a teacher and asked if I could have it. I stuffed it in the back of my new beetle bug and drove home with my face pressed against the front glass window so I could make it fit in the trunk!

Some of the things I’ve seen
(and acquired) over the years:

Milk Crates
Cones
Construction Hats
PVC pipe and connectors (big and little)
5-Gallon Water Bottles
Ladders
Painter Pails
Tires
Hubcaps
Big Wire/Cable Spools
Hose

Things you’ll want to leave alone:

Clothing
Bottles filled with mysterious colored liquid
Shoes
Plastic bags that are full and bundled on the side of the road – as tempting as it might be to “take a quick peek”, it’s best to let these alone for the highway clean up crews….

Hints and Tips

1. I once found a big cable spool in the fast lane of Interstate 5…. It was my trickiest acquisition as of yet. Merging from the left shoulder back into the fast lane was kind of tricky – but very much worth it! Use your blinker and be patient… someone will let you in…. eventually

2. If, once you get out to check something out, you see that it’s gross, yucky, beyond repair or really damaged – leave it there! Utilizing items that are in decent shape is different than become a trash collector!!

3. Oh, and by all means – WASH what you find!

©2002 Ooey Gooey, Inc.
Lisa Murphy www.ooeygooey.com

You might find wolves disguised as parents, administrators, colleagues, co-workers, principals or maybe even yourself. Wolves desire goals, objectives and activities that are aligned with standards, benchmarks and an assortment of desired results. Obvious links between classroom projects and established learning guidelines assists them in truly believing that we (educators) know what we are doing.

This can be a bit of a challenge for all parties. Teachers want to plan exciting activities for the children, parents want the clothes clean. Teachers are jazzed up about a new experiment and administration is worried about playdough in the carpet. Teachers feel frustrated when asked, “But what are they learning?!” and know in their hearts that there is more to be said than, “Kids learn through play.”

Where is the middle ground? I dream of a day when we say, “Today everyone played so hard!” And it is collectively understood that this means we counted rollie pollies, measured sand and water, wrote stories with inventive spelling, negotiated a turn on the bikes without hitting, mixed red and yellow for the fiftieth time and realized it still made orange, sat quietly while we watched the hummingbird sip the nectar from the feeder on the playground, sang songs, did fingerplays and balanced a table-high tower of corks and blocks.

Sometimes I worry that when we say “we played today,” many grown-ups have forgotten what this means. They have forgotten “play.” Remind them. “When we stack blocks we are learning about balance, gravity and patience, come let me show you the photograph of the tower Karen made today! She worked on it for a solid half hour!”

While reconnecting them with play you are also linking the “learning words” to the activities and projects you do in your classroom. Believe me – great will be the day when we no longer have to defend what we do – but for now, we do. So we must be armed with an arsenal of information!

While fighting the good fight and continuing to wage the uphill battle of having play valued for its own sake within our preschools, childcare centers and elementary schools, we must be able to articulate what is happening when children play.

We know that while children are engaged in meaningful experiences they are “getting ready for school.” Some folks can see that clearly, some need us to point it out. We must be able to work with both groups in a professional manner! We must continue to point out (for the millionth time) that when children spend time in hands-on, play based, educational environments that emphasize the importance of wonder, discovery and creativity (not the accumulation of a bunch o’facts) that learning is happening all the time.

Even though many of us work in environments where there is a lot of pressure for children to be performing, gathering random bits of knowledge and hurrying up to be “ready” for the next expectation with no time left to appreciate the here-and-now, I have found, amazingly enough, that sometimes all it takes is a few strategically placed phrases such as, “when we are squeezing playdough we are strengthening our hands and eventually, when our hands and fingers are strong enough, we are able to hold pencils”, or “when we make ooblick we are exploring the difference between solids and liquids” is all it takes to ease the worries and fears of parents that the children aren’t doing anything.

Sometimes a few exchanges such as these shows parents that you know what you are talking about. It reassures them that their child is in an engaging environment where play is being facilitated by caring adults who know their stuff. Your responsibility is to then facilitate and to know your stuff.

After a few conversations with parents where you are able to show and educate them as to the “learning words” that can be linked to the play activities you can often begin to deepen your relationship with them. Once this trust is established (they trust that you know what you are doing and that you can talk about what their child is experiencing and learning and you trust that they will listen when you explain and talk about what is happening in the classroom) you can then take on the deeper issues of honoring childhood for it’s own sake, not just as training ground for all the things that might be coming next.

These words can be used to describe the activities you are doing in your classroom. Link them to the day’s events to show what the children were doing. I have found that wolves respond better when you use words like:

It is my wish that this brief list assists you in connecting with them.

©2002 Ooey Gooey, Inc.
Lisa Murphy

You Need:

• Plastic Flashlight
• Roller Brush
• Mounting Screws
• Drill
• Screw Driver

You Do:

1. Unscrew light fixture end from flashlight.
   
2. Place roller brush against flashlight so that roller end will extend beyond flashlight by a couple of inches.
   
3. Drill 3/16 inch hole into roller brush and flashlight at the same time.
   
4. Attach roller brush to flashlight with 3/8 inch bolt, nut and lock washer.
   
5. Hand tighten with screwdriver.
6. Add Batteries.
7. Screw light fixture on flashlight.

Turn out the lights and let them chase the light. See what they paint that way!

• 1/2″ PVC Pipe
• PVC Cutting Tool or a Hacksaw
• Scissors
• Cheesecloth
• Scissors
• Small Rubberbands

You Do:

1. Use a damp rag or paper towel to wipe down PVC pipe.
2. Cut PVC into 8″ segments.
   
   
3. Sand any rough edges.
4. Cut Cheesecloth into 2″ squares.
   
   
5. Put one piece of cheesecloth over one end of PVC pipe and secure with rubberband (rubberband needs to be at least doubled over).
   
   

Put them out with some super bubble solution
and see how the children use them! ENJOY!

You Need:

• Dowels- 7/16 x 48″
• Rubberbands- 3 1/2″ x 1/4″
• Masking Tape
• Duct Tape
• Scissors
• Sand Paper

You Do:

1. Cut dowels in 8″ lengths (6 per dowel).
2. Sand rough edges.
3. Cut 16 rubberbands in half.
   
4. Tear 2 pieces of masking tape (approx. 3″ in length each).
5. Attach one end of rubberband to masking tape as follows. Align 8 rubberbands in a row.
6. Roll tape on to one end of dowel.
7. Repeat step 5 with remaining rubberbands.
8. Tape second rubberband section over the first section.
   
9. Tear a 3″ section of duct tape.
10. Wrap duct tape over masking tape. Pull tape as tight as you can as you wrap. This will smooth out the duct tape and secure the masking tape and rubberbands to dowel.
    
11. Trim approx. 2″ off ends of rubberbands.
    

You Need:

• 3 pieces of garden hose cut to 3-ft lengths
• 1 PVC-tee connector (1/2″)
• Duct Tape
• 3 water bottles

You Do:

1. Cut the water bottle in half so you have a top and bottom. Discard the bottom. Trim up the rim of the top so that it does not have any sharp edges.
2. Apply a piece of masking tape around the rim of the top of the water bottle to smooth out the edges.
3. Insert one piece of hose into each hole of the PVC-tee.
4. Duct tape it to hold it together.
5. Now attach one water bottle “top” to each end of the hose.
6. Duct tape it to hold it together.
7. Viola! Three way calling!

• 1 – 12″ square of plywood (1/2″ thick)
• Liquid Nails™ (available at Home Depot)
• Ceramic tiles
• Sandpaper

You Do:

1. Use the sandpaper to sand the edges of the square so there are no sharp edges or corners.
2. Design how you would like your tiles on the square.
3. Use the Liquid Nails™ to attach the tiles to the square. NOTE: Do this OUTSIDE or with LOTS of ventilation! Liquid Nails™ is very stinky!
4. Allow to dry for 24 hours.
5. Then the children can paint on the tiles and make a print of their painting on a piece of paper!
6. Do not soak the tile block in water! Wash with warm water and a scrub brush but do not try to get it spotless between uses! If tiles fall off use the Liquid Nails to reattach them.

You Need:

• 2 Paint brushes
• Duct Tape
• Wire or old metal coat hanger
• Masking tape

You Do:

1. Cut the wire at the designated spots using wire cutters (see photo). This will create two (2) v-shaped wires to which you will attach the brushes.
2. Adhere one brush to each end of the wire using masking tape to hold it in place.
3. Now use the duct tape to tape the whole thing together, covering the wire and the top part of the brush handle so you now have a huge v-shaped double brush!
4. To clean, simply rinse the brushes under warm soapy water.

Put them out next to some paint and see how the children use them! ENJOY!

Chicago Tribune
September 6, 2000

By Ronald Kotulak, Staff Writer

People Skills, not ABCs, Aid Kindergartners, experts say

For years, educators have been encouraging parents and child-care workers to teach children letters, numbers, and colors before sending them off to school.

But new research to be released this week suggests that being ready for school really means being friendly, attentive, and curious, and failing to instill these qualities sets up children for failure.

A new report, the combined work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a number of government groups and philanthropic funds, brings together the latest scientific evidence identifying the risk factors linked to school failure, such as low birth weight, poor day care, abuse, neglect, poor parenting, and early behavioral problems.

It sets out to establish new priorities for parents and to call for an overhaul of the federal programs designed to prepare children for school. Evidence continues to mount that despite these programs, children are increasingly showing up for the first day of kindergarten unprepared to learn.

The report finds that parents can improve a child’s chances of success in kindergarten by fostering a strong relationship that enhances confidence, independence, curiosity, motivation, persistence, self-control, cooperation, empathy, and the ability to communicate.

The report recommends that child-care centers and government policies on early childhood development refocus to promote emotional and social development.

New brain research shows that how children learn to get along with others and control their feelings is greatly influenced by their earliest experiences, and that social and emotional competence are more important for school success than learning the ABCs and 1-2-3s.

“What the basic science is telling us is that simple counting, colors, and the alphabet are really not how kids get ready for school,” said Dr. Peter Jensen, and expert consultant for the report and director of Columbia University’s Center for the Advancement of Children’s Mental Health.

“If you look at what teachers say in kindergarten and 1st grade, it’s not that kids don’t count and know their numbers and colors. It’s that they don’t sit still, they can’t behave, and they don’t have the behavioral and emotional skills that allow them to be motivated to learn,” he said.

“This report is absolutely on target,” said Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, a developmental psychologist at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

The report titled “A Good Beginning,” which is to be presented Wednesday at a news conference at the New York Academy of Sciences, also points out a growing gap between the new understanding of school readiness and federal policies intended to help children overcome academic barriers.

“It is untenable that the science…on risk factors for social or emotional difficulties among young kids is largely disconnected from the policies or programs for these children,” said Kimberly Hoagwood, associate director for child and adolescent research at the National Institute of Mental Health. “We know that these risks can be identified and the programs and policies should go after them.”

The problem of school failure has taken on a new urgency because it is getting worse, said Doreen Cavanaugh, associate director of Brandeis University’s National Maternal and Child Health Center and author of the report’s resource guide.

In 1994 the Educate America Act committed the nation to the goal of making sure that every child in America starts school ready to learn by 2000. It is a goal that has not yet been met, Cavanaugh said. An example of government policies that have failed to live up to their potential are Head Start and Early Head Start. Head Start, which is intended to help children ages 3 to 5, covers only half of the children who are eligible. Early Head Start, designed for children from birth to age 3, only enrolls 2 percent of eligible children, she said.

The report points out that children who do not begin kindergarten socially and emotionally competent are often not successful in the early years of school and can be plagued by behavioral, emotional, academic, and social development problem that follow them into adulthood.

Studies indicate that these kinds of problems are increasing. Forty-six percent of kindergarten teachers say that half of the children entering kindergarten have a behavioral of learning problem and 1 out of 13 children fail kindergarten or 1st grade.

“Trends like this take time to build and become obvious, like global warming,” Jensen said. The educational system prepares children for kindergarten by focusing on their cognitive skills to the exclusion of the emotional and social development.

When children play they construct their own knowledge of the world, physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally, and this is the most meaningful type of knowledge. Every time you do something for a child, you rob him/her of the opportunity to feel competent.

By Susan Black

The research on early childhood education leaves no room for doubt: Preschoolers learn best and they become better students in later grades when they follow their natural dispositions. They need to explore, wonder, question, create, and most importantly play.

In a compelling study of early-childhood programs in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Rebecca Marcon, a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Florida in Jacksonville, found that educators cannot assume that “just any preschool curriculum will achieve positive results.” As Marcon discovered when she was called in to investigate high rates of retention in the district’s first grades, many youngsters weren’t getting smarter with each year they spent in school. In fact, Marcon soon determined, many kids were failing even though they’d been enrolled in readiness programs such as Head Start, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.

As Marcon says, she and others involved in her study were “filled with surprises” at how little consistency they found when they investigated preschool programs serving four-year-olds in the D.C. schools. Based in information collected from teacher surveys and classroom visits, Marcon sorted the district’s preschool programs into three categories: (1) the child-initiated model, in which teachers encourage children to choose and develop their own learning and in which a child’s social and emotional needs are considered more important than academic learning; (2) the academically directed model, in which teachers stress academic learning and readiness for the upcoming grades; and (3) the “middle-of-the-road” model, which borrows features from the other two.

Which of these programs works best for kids? As Marcon’s data conclusively show, only the best children in the child-initiated preschools benefited from (in both the short-term and the long-term) from their early experience in school. (Each time Marcon replicated her study, in fact only the children in the child-initiated model continued to master basic skills and to excel in upper grades.) In contrast, children from the academically directed preschools lost ground, especially in the first-grade reading and math. In addition, children in the academic preschools lagged in the social development, and boys, especially, fell behind in their overall academic experiences, but girls did better in classrooms that valued social-emotional development instead of academic preparation.

The middle-of-the-road preschools offered no discernible benefits: Children in these programs were found to have significantly lower mastery of basic skills, especially language skills, and they were slower to develop their social and motor skills.

When she followed the 4-year-olds through the upper grades, Marcon found by age nine the effects of a child’s preschool experience were clearly apparent. For instance, by fourth grade, children in the academic programs were earning lower grades and passing fewer reading and math objectives. By fourth and fifth grades, these same children were behind their peers developmentally, and they displayed more maladaptive behavior, such as hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, and defiance. According to Marcon’s research, these children had more difficulties adjusting and learning than children whose first school experience is in a supportive social-emotional setting. (For Marcon’s recommendations for early-childhood programs, see The Executive Educator, December 1995.)

If your school has an early-childhood program, or if your district is contemplating adding a program for preschoolers, that research means you need to lay down the law for both teachers and parents: In the early-childhood program at your school, you need to say, preschoolers are not going to be thought of and treated simply as smaller versions of older kids. And they won’t be filling out workbook pages and ditto sheets or studying so-called academic subjects (such as math and science) the way older students do. (The National Association of Elementary School Principals, or NAESP, criticizes such an approach, saying preschoolers don’t need “bite-size nibbles” of what older children are getting.) Children in your early-childhood program, you should insist, will be doing what they do best—playing.

You’ll also want to make NAESP’s two priorities for preschool programs clear to staff members and parents: one goals is that, through play, your three and four-year-olds (as well as younger children if they’re also being cared for in your school) will develop a genuine pleasure in learning: the second is that your young charges will develop self-confidence in their ability to learn and to accomplish challenging tasks.

“I try to show–not just tell–parents and teachers what an early-childhood program should look like, sound like, and feel like,” says a curriculum specialist who coordinates preschool programs in her school district. “In our classrooms, we provide children with all sorts of interesting toys and supplies, such as water tables, sandboxes, interlocking blocks, and dollhouses. We also give children lots of time and encouragement to invent and experiment as they play. And we offer constant social and emotional security by making our centers happy and secure places where kids feel respected and loved.”

But, as Kathleen Glascott, and assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University at Murfreesboro, claims, there’s more to running a high-quality early childhood center that making sure you have the right equipment and that you focus on kid’s social and emotional development. Far too many teachers “don’t completely understand the theory behind their classroom practice,” says Glascott. If teachers can’t describe the research on early-childhood education—especially the research that says kids learn as they play—it’s likely their efforts won’t be taken seriously, Glascott maintains. Teachers ought to be able to link their methods–such as providing uninterrupted playtime and having children select their own play activities—with research findings for two reasons, Glascott contends: For one thing, most parents and educators unfamiliar with early-childhood education need to be persuaded—with sound research evidence—that for very young children, play is learning: for another, teachers need to demonstrate that play during early childhood pays off in terms of increased academic achievement in later years.

But even those teachers and school executives who have a handle on the research that supports a more relaxed and playful approach to learning for young children have their frustrations. As they tell it, convincing parents that time spent playing is better for their children than studying can be difficult. “I spend countless hours explaining to parents that the best programs concentrate on “kid stuff,” says an early-childhood consultant. “Teachers and parents sometimes get impatient with letting kids play freely. They want to force kids to do more grown-up “school stuff” even though the kids aren’t ready to read, print, or listen to a teacher’s instructions.”

Playing up play

Although approximately 50 percent of three and four-year-olds are in some form of preschool today—and predictions show more school districts plan to adopt early-childhood programs—there’s still a “muddled understanding” of what constitutes learning for children this age, says Gary Salyers, former president of NAESP, in his essay “The Critical Preschool Years.” Somehow, educators keep missing the boat when it comes to the youngest learners, according to Salyers. Instead of promoting learning that is ‘ developmentally appropriate”—that is, the way a child learns at each stage of growth–schools too often push the kindergarten and first-grade curriculum down into preschool. Unfortunately, the tendency to start preschoolers off with more controlled learning is wrong, Salyers notes, and so is the idea that kids are learning only when they’re seated quietly and studying school subjects.

In “The Importance of Play,” an essay in the Atlantic Monthly, Bruno Bettelheim, the noted child psychologist and researcher, describes the role of play in a young child’s life. Drawing from observations first recorded by Freud, Bettleheim says that children work through and master “complex psychological difficulties of their past and present” as they play. For children, play, especially when it’s freewheeling, without rules or goals, and chosen for pure enjoyment–is a “royal road” to their conscious and unconscious inner worlds, says Bettleheim.

Play is actually an intellectual activity, Bettleheim maintains. Through play, children learn cognitive skills (such as numbering and sorting), motor skills (such as balancing), and personal habits (such as perseverance). But it’s important, Bettleheim cautions, for adults to allow young children to “own their own struggles” as they play. Teachers and parents who interfere—by suggesting a “right” way to use a toy, for instance—actually rob children of their chance to solve their own problems, resolve anxieties, and experience the joy of learning. And Bettleheim and others note, children invariably lose interest and abandon their activity as soon as adults intrude on their play.

What’s more, Bettleheim reminds us, a child’s play often doesn’t make much sense to an adult, but a child’s decisions while playing—such as pushing around a cardboard box or climbing into a wagon and pretending to sleep—fulfill needs that can’t always be seen. Remember, researchers say: Play is a constructive activity that allows children t act out problems and dilemmas in their lives, recreate enjoyable moments, and discover their own interest and personalities. “It’s hard to stand back and watch toddlers try over and over to build a tower out of blocks,” says a teacher with a roomful of three-year-olds. “But I’ve learned not to underestimate these little ones. Instead of rushing to their rescue, I realize now that it’s a wonderful moment–one worth waiting for–when they finally get that top block in place and the tower sways but doesn’t tumble.” Learning that some tasks take considerable time and effort is a valuable lesson kids can get from their play, Bettleheim states. Children as young as three can learn not to give up when things don’t go right the first time.

According to the research, schools are on the right track when they give children plenty of time and plenty of room to move, play, and try out ideas. As Bettleheim puts it, teachers should provide ample play opportunities to help kids develop their own “inner life of creativity and imagination.”

Howard Gardner, the cognitive psychologist who studies how children and adults learn, urges teachers to take note of what kids choose and how they go about playing. According to Gardner, teachers should use the data they collect from observing kids at play to encourage a state of “happy concentration” in their regular studies, such as music and history.

In Indianapolis’s Key School (which is organized according to Gardner’s theories) youngsters attend a “flow room” each week where they go about the serious business of playing board games, making models and participating in other activities of their own choosing. According to Gardner and other researchers, play helps put kids into a “state of flow”–a psychological term that describes a point at which learning is neither too easy nor too hard, and solving problems and meeting challenges are extremely satisfying. (For more information on Howard Gardner’s research, see Research Report in January 1994 issue.)

According to Rebecca Marcon and many other early-childhood researchers, school also should be wary of the national education goal that insists: “By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn.” (That school-readiness goal is the first of six goals drafted by the National Governors Association supported by Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, and passed legislatively as Goals 2000)

As Frank Newman, President of the Denver-based Education Commission of the States (ECS), notes in his essay, “School Readiness and State Action,” schools across the country are trying to figure out what the readiness means and how they should go about getting young children ready to learn. As an elementary principal in Maine puts it, “We talk about getting kids ready to learn in our school, but the truth be told, we don’t have a systematic plan to get every child ready for kindergarten or first grade. So far our best effort involves sending calendars home to parents with suggestions for daily activities they can do with their preschoolers—such as going to a library story hour and touring a local sailing museum, It’s a nice touch, but it isn’t exactly a readiness plan.”

But, researchers such as Lorrie Shepard of the University of Colorado and Mary Lee Smith of Arizona State.University say the goal of school readiness should be turned around. Instead of “shoehorning children into programs that don’t fit them,” Shepard and Smith say, schools ought to concentrate on helping teachers design ways to teach kids as they come. The last thing a school should do is prepare a “readiness check off,” these researchers say: Thinking that all children can be lumped into a “mythical homogeneous group” in which everyone learns the same way at the same time denies children’s natural racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. Shepard and Smith say.

As for the national goal for school readiness, Frank Newman says school administrators and teachers need to ask a fundamental question: “Readiness for what?” In Newman’s view, getting preschoolers ready to do kindergarten work and kindergarteners ready for first-grade reading and other subjects, is a “hollow reform.” Reflecting on the findings from her research in Washington, D.C., Rebecca Marcon notes that politicians and educators need to shift their thinking from getting kids “ready to learn” to getting schools “ready to receive” eager young learners. “I’ve had serious turnabout in my thinking,” says a veteran preschool teacher who agrees with Marcon’s position. “I now welcome my little ones with open arm–just as they are–instead of mentally sorting them into groups of learners and non-learners during the first week of school.”

A kindergarten teacher in an inner-city school offers this observation: “My teaching partner and I used to moan and groan about kids coming to school not knowing how to hold a book and not ever having counted buttons or blocks. But now we use this information as a starting point for their learning. We’ve learned to backtrack when we have to. So, for some kids, we hold them on our lap and show them a book—right side-up—and we point out the cover, the title, the print, and the pictures. There’s a big difference in where we start with our kids now. I guess you could say we, the teachers, have to be ready to learn.

This is a synopsis of Marcon’s study,
which appeared in Young Children November 1994.

Learn more on The Rebecca Marcon Study through Google

This workshop provides an in-depth exploration of the 9 points within the framework of Lisa Murphy’s approach to working with children.  Via interactive lecture, true-to-life examples, anecdotes and her signature “learning and laughing” style, this workshop presents what it really means to be a hands-on, play-based, child-centered program. 

In addition to being a dynamic presentation of Lisa’s signature high-energy workshop, this one-of-a-kind workshop will supply you with 6 tables of hands-on art, science and sensory play activity ideas as well as the “wolf words” that support their use in your classroom! Participants will be invited to come up on stage and play with the experiences at the end of the demonstration.

Often our own experience has led us to think that science is hard, difficult and complicated.  This workshop will reassure you that you do not need a degree in biology or chemistry to have an engaging science program in your classroom as Lisa demonstrates 6 tables of age-appropriate science activities for young children. Participants will be invited to come up on stage and play with the experiences at the end of the demonstration.

No more dittos!  No more patterns!  No more cut out art!  In this workshop Lisa will defend a very strong process oriented art position.  It is crucial that groups choosing this workshop are aware of her “non-compromising” stance before selecting this as a topic. After a discussion about what “process not product” really means, participants will have time to create with various media in order to reinforce the importance of open-ended creative experiences and not “cookie-cutter” projects.

During this session Lisa will identify the seven things we need to do with children each day in order to encourage a love of life long learning and create the foundation which will support future school success.  And what is that foundation?  Why playing of course! This workshop is designed to reinforce the importance of hands-on, play-based learning in the early years and discusses how playing is “getting them ready.” It has become one of her most popular and oft requested workshops.

Back by popular demand!  Lisa blew the dust off her old nursery rhyme workshop and gave it a facelift! During this workshop, participants will (re)learn many of the classic rhymes and will see how they have curriculum connections to other areas of the classroom!

Come hear the “Lisa Murphy” spin on Howard Gardner’s classic theory.  Not just a listing of various personality characteristics, needs and preferences, no no!!  By providing easy to implement, yet possibly challenging, “comfort zone stretchers,” Lisa challenges teachers to make sure they are celebrating all of the children in the classroom, not just the ones they like.

While these names understandably might bring up images of school, textbooks and tests, it is important for us to be familiar with the folks who paved the way.  Why?  Because quite simply, the main points within the framework supporting the Ooey Gooey® philosophy are not new! The importance of being outdoors, adults acting as a facilitator, the power of observations and the importance of controlling the environment are not new ideas!  However we cannot pull strength and credibility from this fact if we don’t know who they are and what they did!  This workshop will provide you with an overview of the key contributions of a few of the major players in the history of early childhood education thus reinforcing that being play-based, hands-on and child-centered in our approach to children is not a new idea!

Read the full story!

School isn’t in session today, but that didn’t stop area educators and childcare workers from gathering at Horizon Middle School.

They were there taking part in a workshop put on by Lisa Murphy, who is better known around the country as the Ooey Gooey Lady®.

Read More

From the article entitled “Play is an academic foundation” by Charis Ubben.

Read Article Part 1
Read Article Part 2

Ever wonder what your children do at daycare or preschool all day? You may think, paint or build with blocks. Today those who teach got a chance to take part in those same hands on activities while learning lessons of their own.

Watch the news footage here.

“Conference focuses on new ways to reach youngsters”

Read the full story!

Children love to play hard and get messy. Once at preschool, Jennifer ran to wash her hands after playing in a sticky mixture of glue and shaving cream. “Ms. Lisa! Ms. Lisa!” she hollered. “This is the best day of my life!”

As adults, it can be difficult to see the purpose of mess and the goal of goo. In actuality, play is the foundation for future school success. Realize that when your child squeezes playdough she’s developing the muscles in her hands and fingers that need to be strong before she can hold a pencil. When you work with her to measure and mix water and cornstarch (oobleck), your child will explore math and science, not to mention the small motor skills necessary for pouring and stirring.

Squishing shaving cream on a table is a wonderful way for children to practice their scribbles. (Truth be told, shaving cream also does a mighty fine job of cleaning the table.) Beware of wearing your grown-up hat! It’s not about squirting the shaving cream on the kitchen table and announcing, “Today we are practicing our scribbles.” Relax, and let your child explore. Remember, it’s impossible to separate the doing from the learning.

Children will scribble, draw, make lines or piles, or use craft sticks to move it around. Here are our favorite recipes for some more gooey, hands-on fun!

Recipes

Playdough
Homemade sand
Flubber

Playdough

What you need:

• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups water
• 1½ cups salt
• 6 tablespoons cooking oil
• 6 teaspoons cream of tartar
• food coloring or liquid water colors

What to do:

1. In a pot, mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Color the water with food coloring or liquid water colors and stir it in along with the cooking oil.
3. Over low heat, stir until the dough forms a big ball.
4. Dump the playdough onto a heat resistant countertop or cutting board. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before kneading.

How to play:

1. Children will enjoy playing with the playdough while it’s still warm. It feels good! Set out cookie cutters, craft sticks, and other kitchen utensils for further exploration.
2. Add vanilla or peppermint extract before cooking. Smell is our strongest link to memory — and what fun ones you’ll be creating! Also try substituting cake and muffin mixes for some of the flour. Use about half of the cake or muffin mix and 2 cups of flour.

Homemade Sand

What you need:

• 4 cups dried, used coffee grounds
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup salt

What to do:

1. Dry the grounds in the sun or in your oven on low heat. Make sure the grounds are extremely dry — otherwise they’ll mold.
2. Stir all ingredients together and there you go!

How to play:

Provide funnels, scoops, and wooden spoons for hours of mixing, stirring, and pouring fun. Empty bowls or small containers are great for dumping and filling.

Flubber

What you need:

• 1½ cups glue
• 4 tablespoons Borax  (laundry detergent aisle)
• 4 cups water

What to do:

1. Mix 2 cups of water and the glue in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups water and the Borax.
3. After it’s dissolved, pour the Borax mixture a little at a time into the glue mixture and stir. You might not need all of the Borax mixture.

How to play:

1. Squish it, poke it, or try sticking a bit of it at the end of a straw and blowing a bubble.
2. Watch it ooze through your fingers.
3. Hang a berry basket in your doorway and place some flubber inside. Watch it ssttrreeeettcch through the holes in the basket.

Note: Vinegar will take flubber out of clothes. Mayonnaise will take it out of hair.

An International Competition Honoring Excellence in Communications

As part of the SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program video conference aired live from Albany, NY, Lisa and Ooey Gooey® have won an Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards.

The video conference was aired live on Thursday Sept 14, 2006 to over 3000 people. The audience were family care providers, center based teachers, and preschool teachers and administrators from around the state.

Lisa participated in the live Question and Answer session with moderator Benita Zahn, a local newscaster in Albany. Throughout the Q&A footage was shared of Lisa demonstrating various Ooey Gooey® activities from her home in Rochester and of kids at local centers playing with goo.

The conference included questions from the live audience via satellite from various conference centers throughout New York.

The Press Enterprise
By Melissa Eiselein

MORENO VALLEY – Lisa Murphy cracked jokes about children and child-care providers, but she was serious about her message Saturday at Family Service Association’s fifth annual Child Development Conference.

“Education is not the filling of a bucket. It is the starting of a fire,” Murphy told the audience of about 800 child-care providers during the opening presentation at Vista Del Lago High School in Moreno Valley.

“If you spend all your time worrying about what (the children) need to know next year, guess what? You’re going to miss what they need to know this year.”

Murphy, 36, of Rochester, N.Y., is a former day-care provider. She now spends most of her time speaking and writing books on child care. She encouraged her audience to be flexible with their daily schedule and to take time to build relationships with children, and make each day a fun and memorable learning experience.

The all-day conference included three sessions, each with 19 workshops that covered topics such as early literacy, physical fitness, and learning through art and music.

This is the fifth year family day-care provider Rosie Kerns, 53, of Riverside, attended the conference. She said it’s a great way to keep on top of the latest trends in early childhood education and an invaluable tool in staying motivated to do her job.

“We are doing the most important job there is. We’re caring for children 0-5 in our homes,” Kerns said. “If you don’t love what you do, you shouldn’t be a child-care provider.”

Like Kerns, Catalina Santana stayed in the main auditorium after the opening presentation to hear Murphy talk about creating a child-centered environment. Santana, 42, of Moreno Valley, oversees early day-care providers at Family Service Association’s Box Springs center, which cares for children through age 3.

Kerns and Santana listened as Murphy explained the difference between controlling the learning environment and stifling the learning process by controlling the child.

“She is an awesome teacher. She allows the kids to be kids,” Santana said.

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
By JANET ZIMMERMAN

Streams of water splash from a plastic pitcher onto miniature mountains of cornstarch.

The controller of the mess — a 2-year-old girl with brunette ringlets — contorts her pudgy face into a mask of concentration. She’s been at it for more than an hour — record time for a toddler.

Over and over, she squishes the goopy mixture, then smoothes it on a table at the Youth Service Center in Riverside. The girl is oblivious to the mess in her hair, down the front of her orange tank top, on her matching huarache sandals. To her, it’s just plain fun. But Lisa Murphy, a preschool teacher turned educational motivator, knows it’s much more.

“It’s science,” said Murphy, who is better known as the Ooey Gooey Lady. “You’ve got action, reaction, cause, effect. You’re making a suspension, which is chemistry.”

Murphy is one of the driving forces behind a growing national and Inland movement to put the play back in childhood and preschool. She wants the focus on fun, not academics. She spreads her message at Ooey Gooey®-themed birthday parties, during play sessions at the park, in rooms full of educators.

“We’re feeling this pressure of getting (children) ready for kindergarten, when kids are tested,” Murphy said by phone. “You can push reading and writing till the cows come home, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to (hold a pencil) if their fingers aren’t strong from squeezing Play-Doh and squirting bottles of water.”

Speaking recently in Palm Springs, Riverside, San Bernadino and elsewhere across the country, Murphy promoted what experts have been saying for years: Play is the foundation of learning. It satisfies a child’s natural curiosity, which leads to exploration, discovery and mastery of concepts.

Mess with a mission

Murphy wants parents and teachers to put away the flash cards and rigid schedules. Give kids plenty of free time outside and let them get dirty, she said.

It’s a mess with a mission, said Dr. Bruce Perry, an author and authority on brain development who supports the power of play.

“If we convey a sense of disgust at the mud on their shoes and the slime on their hands, their discovery…will be diminished,” he wrote in Early Childhood Today magazine.

“The more you encourage creativity and tap into the child’s sense of fun, the easier it will be to introduce even greater challenges.”

Murphy’s tools for play-based learning are inexpensive and easy to get – shaving cream, Ivory soap, baking soda and vinegar, the cornstarch and water mixture she calls Ooblick.

The former San Diego resident also lets children paint with unusual objects –plastic dog chew toys, toilet plungers and turkey basters.

Even Play-Doh is academic, she said.

“When kids are squeezing it, they’re strengthening the small motor muscles they will eventually need to hold a pencil,” Murphy added.

“When they stretch it out and it’s still the same amount, that’s pr-math.”

She promotes child-centered activities in which adults control the environment, not the people in it. Teachers and parents should put away “no-no’s” so they can say “yes” as often as possible.

Murphy avoids phrases such as “stop running” and “sit still” and “inside voices.”

Such expectations are developmentally inappropriate and ask too much of preschoolers, she said.

Sitting still and being quiet is not a marketable job skill. We must not put the emphasis on passive learning,” Murphy added.

“Everyday, preschool children need to be creating, moving, singing, discussing, observing, reading and playing.”

‘Not the norm’

That’s what they’re doing at the Youth Service Center, on the campus of Grnat Elementary School in Riverside, where the little girl made a mess mixing water and cornstarch.

Program director Jaimie West revamped the chool’s lesson plans after attending Murphy’s Ooey Gooey® seminar two years ago.

The center’s 30 preschoolers are allowed to explore and discover, inside and out, for as long as they want.

Their outdoor time isn’t limited, and they aren’t forced to sit for circle time.

Music is alwayas plaing and books are as likely to be read on the potty as they are in the classroom.

“This type of teaching is not the norm,” said West, a former preschool teacher.

On a recent morning, she set out a plastic platter heaped with slimy, cold spaghetti colored blue and green, as several children laid the individual strands of pasta on a table, West noted that they were inadvertently learning to sequence, a precursor to math.

Teaming up to move the spaghetti from the platter to different parts of the table was an exercise in cooperation.

“These social skills are more important than what we provide academically,” West said. “There are steps they need before they read or write.”

Recently, a woman came by to inquire about our preschool program. Her 4-year-old daughter, Olivia, is currently enrolled in another preschool, but the woman was shopping for an alternative.

“Olivia’s already mastered all the really important skills,” the woman said. “She can read on a second-grade level, walk in a straight line and sit quietly for hours. If she attends your program, what goals will you set for her and how will you measure her accomplishments?”

As I shared our school’s philosophy with her, I observed a look of disapproval cross her face. When she left, I knew that the chances of seeing her again were slim, and I was filled with sadness for Olivia.

As impressive as it is that Olivia can read on a second-grade level, I can’t help but wonder if she can paint a picture she thinks is beautiful. Does she know any silly songs that make her laugh? Can she hop on one foot or bounce a ball? When she has the chance to look at a spider, does she wonder why God gave it eight legs?

Most of the children in our program will not leave reading on a second-grade level, but I know they are on their way to becoming readers. They will even eventually learn to walk in straight lines. Their accomplishments are no less amazing than Olivia’s. Five-year-old Lucas often arrives at school tired and is easily frustrated, resulting in an angry, screaming tantrum. When this happens, he knows he is welcome in my office. I have kid-sized chairs, puzzles, stuffed animals and real frogs that he can watch while he has the chance to calm down and rest a while. He’s learning self-control, a skill that will be especially useful as he becomes a teenager.

Maria is a very sweet, shy 3-year-old, and this is her first time to be away from her mother. She usually stands back and watches for a while before she joins in, and she doesn’t like to be the center of attention. Maria is encouraged with lots of smiles and hugs, but is allowed to move at her own pace. Two weeks ago, for the first time, she dictated a story she made up. It means a lot to me that she trusts us enough to share her story. She’s learning to be independent and to trust others.

Four-year-old Christopher loves to build with blocks. As he pulled out a basket of blocks, he announced he was going to build a skyscraper. He began to randomly stack the blacks, which fell over at about waist level. After the third try, he stomped his foot and shouted, “Stupid blocks!” Philip came over and patiently showed him he needed to stack the largest, heaviest blocks on the bottom and then add the smaller, oddly shaped blocks. After a little trial and error, they built a wonderful skyscraper.

Christopher is learning to fail at something and then try again. He’s learning about communication, teamwork and perseverance. He’s getting ready to take on the world.

Lisa Murphy, president of Ooey Gooey, Inc., says, “A truly child-centered place will provide long periods of free time that enable children to become engaged, to wallow in experiences and to repeat behaviors. This helps children master developmental skills and deve3lop a passion for discovery.”

Contrary to the belief of many parents today, including Olivia’s, preschool should not be boot camp for kindergarten. But Olivia has already been drafted and is serving her time. I can only she survives with her spirit intact.

Susan Prince of Hoover is director of the Cahaba Valley Church Preschool, a board member of the Alabama Association for Young Children, a frequent workshop leader and, most important, the mother of two. Her email address is sprince123@aol.com.

Tribune Star Terre Haute and Wabash Valley
By Matt Miller/Tribune-Star

Read the original article at tribstar.com

Lisa Murphy has learned much from things that go ‘squishy plop’

By Matt Miller/Tribune-Star

September 15, 2002

Since she was 3 years old, Lisa Murphy knew she wanted to be Miss Mary.

Miss Mary let her play in the clay and the sand. She had “one of those magical, magical yards” with slides and ropes on trees and a ladder that doubled as a swing. She would ask, not order.

Miss Mary was the kind of preschool teacher or daycare provider that Murphy, an early childhood education consultant, urged other educators to emulate.

Getting messy and touching and smelling and doing things hands-on are all vital for preschool-aged kids, Murphy explained at her “Ooey Gooey® Squishy Plop” workshop Saturday at Indiana Theater. It was sponsored by Community Coordinated Child Care and Step Ahead Councils.

“When you’re 35 years old, sliding down the slide headfirst butt naked into a mud puddle doesn’t cut the mustard,” she said.

The self-proclaimed “Ooey Gooey Lady” also stressed that educators should remind themselves why they love to teach little kids.

“It takes a level of passion and dedication and commitment that only you can control,” she said. “You can never ever ever ever realize the impact of what you do. When you have that fire in your belly, you know why you’re doing this.”

That usually doesn’t mean ordering children around with a whistle, a stopwatch and a commanding, booming voice. In her first teaching job, she worked under a woman like that, who still had laminated lesson plans from the 1970s. Murphy called her “Laminated Lady.”

Laminated Lady, for example, made the kids walk through the halls with their hands on their heads, elbows out.

“That’s how they walk in jail,” Murphy said. “You shouldn’t do that. I realized that’s not why I became a teacher.”

Instead, Murphy offered techniques that let kids explore the world around them and learn from it.

Giving child-centered education rests on four main points, Murphy said. First, kids must be able to take time to explore and experience. They want to spin around in the frozen foods section of the grocery store or inspect the bug crawling across the sidewalk. They learn from such experiences, she said.

“You enjoy doing things, too,” she told the audience, “and it takes time to do them.”

Childcare providers, she said, should be facilitators, making it easier for kids to experience the sights, sounds, tastes and touches that shape their young lives. They should ask kids what they want to try and if they want to try it again.

“Laminated Lady was not a facilitator,” Murphy said. “She was the keeper of the stuff.”

Kids shouldn’t have unnecessary amounts of rules, either, she said. More focus should be devoted to the reason individual children act the way they do, not a black-and-white rules system that tells them they were wrong.

“A rules sheet is easier … but they don’t need that,” Murphy said.

Finally, kids should have plenty of time to play outdoors, she said. Murphy said 40 percent of U.S. schools have abolished recess time. She disagreed with one superintendent’s comment that test scores are not improved on the monkey bars.

“That’s how their body is getting ready for reading and writing,” she said.

Melissa Fagg, a daycare provider who is studying early childhood education at Indiana State University, said those experiences are what kids take with them.

“We all have those kids she’s describing,” Fagg said. “I want to be memorable. I want to be hands-on. I want them to get more than the academics.”

Carol Bush found better ways to relate to the kids in her family daycare in Bedford.

“I’m getting a little stilted in communicating,” she said. “She’s giving me better ways of doing what I do. … I do identify with her.”

June 2002
Ooey Gooey Lady to Visit Lite Center

Yucca Valley- The Ooey Gooey Lady will appear at the Yucca Valley library LITE Center for a free workshop at 1pm. June 15.

Moms, dads, grandparents and anyone who works with children can rollup their sleeves and be ready to play. Lisa Murphy, the Ooey Gooey Lady, will share lots of children’s sensory activities that combine science, art, and fun.

This free workshop is for adults and young adults.

For information call Cathy at the LITE Center at 228-5462.

When the Ooey Gooey Lady visited…

…the Yucca Valley Library’s LITE Center June 15, the kids’ favorite was “Flubber Gak.” This marvelous product consists of five tablespoons of Borax, two cups of Elmer’s Glue, 2.5 cups of water and liquid water color. And what you get is what you see [ photo coming - Eric Cristanelli, 12, big bubble; Kristen Szabo, 13, bigger bubble ]. Forty-Five attended the fun session.

Early childhood consultant Lisa Murphy, the ‘Ooey-Gooey Lady,’ presented a ‘hands-on, hands-in’ workshop Saturday at the Little Professor Book Company in Temecula. At right, 21-month-old Haylee Hittle of Canyon Lake tries to remove some gooey stuff from Murphy’s hair.

F.U.N. MOTHERS’ CLUB Serving Fremont, Union City, Newark, and the surrounding area. For primary caregivers of pre-kindergarten children and expectant mothers. Information/message center: (510) 475-6864.

July 2000
March Speaker Review
Ooey, Gooey Fun!

At our March general meeting, the FUN MC was pleased to host Lisa Murphy and an evening of Ooey, Gooey fun. Lisa Murphy is truly a dynamic speaker. After the meeting, I was so inspired to do more things with my child and be more child-centered. I’m totally new at being a parent. I am still deciding what I’m going to be when I grow up but I left the meeting believing I really could be Supermom. Lisa had a fantastic presentation and was truly motivational.

Lisa told us her story- from beginning at age 4 to present. She mentioned how things were after she obtained her teaching credential, before she knew better. Teaching was so frustrating with the time-regimented days she was asked to plan. Asking children to put toys and activities away 20 minutes after getting started was simply unfair. Lisa asked, “Is 20 minutes enough time for you to get your work area ready, gather you ingredients, tools, materials, get set and get into you favorite project?” No. Therefore, it is easy to understand the frustration felt by children. Lisa shared her experiences and gave us permission to move on from feeling guilty before we knew better. She reminded us that change only comes when we are ready, not usually immediately life-altering but slowly. I know that is a lesson about life – it was a good reminder. Lisa got started with Ooey Gooey® by attending a teacher’s conference. She was really looking forward to an ‘Ooey-Gooey-Squishy-Plop’ Seminar only to find no one there to give it. So, Lisa decided to get up in front of the group and talk about her experiences and help others share their ideas.

Of course, the really fun part of Lisa’s visit at the March General Meeting was the Ooey Gooey® stuff. Yes, Lisa brought lots of samples and ideas! She had four tables of stuff for FUN Mothers to look at, play in, try, experiment with and anything else that popped into our heads. Lisa showed us what she did with the different activities and told us a little about her school. She has created a learning environment that she feels is best for children. She believes there are four essential rules in creating the perfect environment. First, children need long periods of un-interrupted free time to discover. Second, there should be few restrictions. Create a ‘yes-yes’ environment; removing items that cause negative restrictions or anyone to have to say ‘no-no.’ Third, adults are the facilitators of a child’s learning and environment, not controllers. Fourth, children must have lots of outdoor time. Lisa explained why these are important in her presentation and book. She had some great stories of what didn’t work and why she believes the four rules are necessary in her book. I thought how wonderful her school must be and how willing I’d be to attend it!

By KELLY RAUSCH, Staff Writer

IMPERIAL — Spicy pepper jack cheese and apple slices made all the difference in Lisa Murphy’s life.

The keynote speaker at Saturday’s sixth annual Early Childhood Education Conference, Murphy shared with nearly 400 Imperial Valley educators the impact they can have on children’s lives. She revealed the powerful effect her own preschool teacher had on her when the teacher took the time to find out Murphy’s favorite snack and prepare it for her.

“Never underestimate the impact
you can have on a child,”
Murphy told the audience.

The conference, sponsored by Imperial Valley College, Imperial County Child Development Training Consortia and the California Department of Education, aims to improve the quality of care for young children, said Sue Tally, Imperial County Office of Education child development services director and consortia member.

Held at IVC, the conference featured workshops, training and a book fair for early childhood educators from both public and private programs and businesses in the Imperial Valley.

“It’s an opportunity for the whole (child-care) community to come together,” Tally said.

Organizing a conference and inviting workshop instructors and presenters from all over the state to the Imperial Valley was an important goal for the event’s organizing consortia.

“We wanted to bring something to them (early childhood educators) locally, especially for those in family day care who can’t afford to go away,” said consortia member Magda Franco of United Families Inc.

Each year, the conference gets bigger as new attendees and many returning participants register, Franco said.

Given throughout the day were workshops in areas ranging from first and second language development in the classroom to practical business and tax tips for family child-care providers.

Providing early childhood educators with good training is crucial, Tally said.

A child’s experiences during the first five years of life will influence that person until they die, Tally said.

Those first years are “a window of opportunity that has been underestimated” in the past, Tally explained.

“Parents need to realize we’re not just providing custodial care or baby-sitting their children while they (parents) are at work or school,” Tally said.

Murphy, co-owner of an education consulting firm and family child-care center in Carlsbad, espouses a child-centered teaching philosophy that encourages exploration and individuality.

Her belief in the importance of childhood compels Murphy “to make sure educators are given the tools they need to bring this (child-centered environment) into their own environment.”

Murphy’s passion and belief in early childhood education won her praise from those in attendance, including Lisa Rodriguez, 27, of El Centro.

“She was very inspiring,” Rodriguez said.

Shortly after the keynote address, Rodriguez was looking forward to the rest of the conference.

“It’s just beginning and already I think it will teach me a lot,” Rodriguez said.

Working in child care for the past four months, Rodriguez is majoring in early childhood education at IVC. Among the workshops Rodriguez planned to attend Saturday was one on day-care licensing because she’s considering one day opening a day-care center in her home.

“I would like to learn anything that has to do with kids. I want to get experience,” Rodriguez said.

Staff Writer Kelly Rausch can be reached at 337-3442.

The North County Times

July 2000
Preschool has science demonstration

Play Pals Childcare in Fallbrook recently had a demonstration on a science education program called ‘Outside Ooey Gooey® Science’ for parents and staff, put on by the Learning Through Adventure Co. Above, Lisa Murphy shows off some of the things she and her husband found on the side of the road that are cleaned for kids to play with.

This woman makes a blend of cornstarch and water to create a messy material children can play in during a recent science program demonstration at Play Pals childcare.

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